Getting Home is the Hardest Part
by depressedchildren
Summary: Terry just wanted to get home to his Gotham, not some past one, not some weird alternate dimension one, just home. Who knew time travel and the journey home could be so...troublesome? Rating due to later chapters' suggestive themes, and violence. This is a series of interconnected one-shots, Terry-centric, and with some DC cross-overs, but no main-character OCs.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Batman Beyond or JLU; they belong to their respective writers, producers, and so forth. This is simply for fun and not for profit.

 _ **Summary:**_ _Terry just wanted to get home to **his** Gotham, not some past one, not some weird alternate dimension one, just home. Who knew time travel and the journey home could be so...troublesome. _

**A/N:** I know I shouldn't be writing another story, but this is just going to be a series of connected one-shots for fun, sort of just snap-shots (which is why this is more of a series of one-shots than a full-out, plot-driven story). Terry (canon Terry after the Return of the Joker) will be thrown into different dimensions and universes. I have to say I was inspired by an academic article about the engendered super-body and how truly border-blurring Batman could be. Terry McGinis didn't have to be white/straight/male; he could have been anything, so long as he had a drive for justice and his dad's death pushing him.

* * *

 **Chapter 1:** How it all began

* * *

Terry knew better than to disregard the old man's warnings, but Terry had gotten cocky after taking down the Joker—er well...Mr. Drake was _essentially_ the Joker because of that weird chip implant. But he didn't listen to Bruce, and now he was in situation he'd rather have lived without. Now here he was chilling in the Justice League Watch Tower of the early 2000s while the present members diverted an alien invasion he wasn't allowed to partake in.

He should have known he'd see time again after Virgil Hawkins showed up, what surprised Terry though was how Bruce actually knew him somehow. Granted, he didn't know Terry's name or _want_ to know it, but he knew that in his old age he had gained a successor of sorts. Maybe Bruce thought he was Mr. Drake?

Terry kicked his legs up onto a table in the observation deck and watched the fireworks outside the window. Being in the past sucked, a lot. He couldn't talk to anyone about _any_ thing because that would be breaking the time-traveler's code, and he couldn't interact with anyone outside of the Justice League. He had been taken up to the Watch Tower practically as soon as he appeared. Apparently he set off some big electrical signals when he landed here, and the league assumed he was a threat, so there were league members there to "greet" him.

Now he was waiting for all the scientist in the league (and man were there a lot of them) to get him back home, though there was no Gear this time. Terry sighed as he wondered if he should try hacking the teleportation system again to get out of this boring watch tower, although the last time he had tried, Bruce had disabled his suit somehow, and Terry wasn't allowed any tools to fix it (they even put this biometirc lock on them!).

Worse than all of this, Terry couldn't even warn Bruce that Mr. Drake was going to be kidnapped by the Joker. Though…maybe Mr. Drake wasn't the Robin at this time? Chief Gordon had said there were multiple Robins.

Terry knew he could blab about it if he wanted to, but the lecture Bruce would give him...well, it made telling him about Mr. Drake a lot less appealing. Plus…Terry was afraid what future would await him if he did change things. Would he be Batman? Part of him selfishly needed to be Batman, so what if that was taken away from him by changing the past for the better? Yeah the old man might be happier, and there might not have been a break in there being a Batman, but… Terri bit his lip and shook his head. No matter how much he'd want to change the past, he couldn't; beside, he told himself, Bruce probably has some sort of mind-eraser to make sure things stay as they will be if he did blab.

Ugh! This was the worst thing ever! Time travel sucked.

* * *

 **TBC**

* * *

 **A/N:** Next chapter... well, I gave a hint in the second, fifth, and sixth paragraphs. Will update when I update "Batman Beyond-X"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Batman Beyond it belongs to its writers, producers, and so forth. This is simply for fun and not for profit.

 _ **Summary:**_ _Terry just wanted to get home to **his** Gotham, not some past one, not some weird alternate dimension one, just home. Who knew time travel and the journey home could be so...troublesome. _

**_A/N:_** Here's the next one. I am debating which one to write after this...hmm...

* * *

 **Chapter 2:** Different Origins

* * *

Finally! Terry could have whooped for joy when he saw that familiar and loved sky-line. He jetted off into the air and did a celebratory loop-de-loop before landing atop one of the old man's newly reclaimed buildings. It really felt so good to be home; maybe he could even skip out on Bruce's lecture and meet up with Dana! But he'd have to be quick.

Terry dived to off of the building and let the air currents keep him afloat as he wove his way through sky-scrapers toward the old manor. Within five minutes he was at the cliff-side entrance. He pressed the button on his belt, and the cave recognized his signal coming in—another good sign. He was quickly gliding in the through the long tunnel before retracting the wings and proceeding on his way.

The computer was on and he could see arms resting on the chair. Damn it! He wasn't getting out of lecture. His confident walk stuttered to a halt and he braced himself.

"If you're trying to hide, McGinnis," that wasn't Bruce speaking, Terry realized even as the person in the chair was beginning to stand up, "you…what the hell are you doing in _my_ suit!?" Mr. Drake…that was Mr. Drake…

Terry held his hands up defensively in front of him.

"Mr. Drake…" he could remember being electrocuted and hit by this man. His family, girlfriend, and even Wayne had been targeted by Drake—er…Joker who was actually Drake the whole time… Terri's head was starting to hurt but he couldn't stop the instinct to be on guard.

The man started to approach him with a dark look coming over him. He was outraged and Terry was so not ready for round two with him.

"Look, Mr. D, come on! Sh-should you even be down here? Should I call your doc, eh?" Terry jumped away from the approaching man who did not stop once.

"McGinsis!" Mr. Drake growled, "Get out of my suit!"

Terry jumped even farther away from the man and began to reach for the knock out gas, "Look Mr. Drake, I'm sure being down here again's upset you, but you need to rela—" Mr. Drake had charged him. "Slow-pulse this!" Terry quickly jumped to the side before rolling out of a grapple. He then accessed the jets to gain some distance.

"You want round two old man fine, but I won't feel sorry for you this time." Terry was up and more than ready to take this guy on again.

"You petty dreg," he spat out in return as he got ready. The atmosphere in the cave was tense, and Terry half expected Bruce to come down any minute to reprimand him or maybe even both of them. Speaking of which, where was the old man?!

Then it happened. Terry raced for the old man as he raced for him. One dodge here, a punch there. It was like they knew how each other fought. Terry got a kick to the ribs, and he knew he'd lose if he didn't play it dirty. He got Drake in the gut in return. He was preparing a flash bomb now, and when Drake was blinded, he'd take him down.

"What the hell is going on?!" That…wasn't Bruce either…

They both were frozen before slowly turning to look at the newcomer. The man was in…was that supposed to be Nightwing?! He had a full body suit like the Royal Flush Gang, but it had the Nightwing design and likely retractable wings too.

He knew what this meant, but he didn't want it to mean what he thought it did. He pulled his mask off and threw his hands otu, "You have to be kidding me!? This isn't _my_ Gotham!" Like a child, he kicked his foot against the ground as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Slag…"

Drake straightened and looked between Terry and Nightwing as if he suspected something. "McGinis, where's my suit?" he questioned while eyeing them both.

"Go back to the insane asylum!" "On the exam table under the sheet."

Terry looked over at the Nightwing guy who spoke when he had. Drake just nodded his head slowly, as if he thought this would happen. He then began moving back to his computer. Nightwing just looked back at Terry with his head cocked and his eyes clearly narrowed to glare at him—as if trying to figure him out. Terry couldn't help but do the same to the other guy. Why the hell did he respond to McGinnis.

"Nightwing," Drake barked, and the other guy straightened right up.

"Yeah Mr. D?" he asked as he began walking toward the older man, though he never took his eyes off of Terry. Terry also looked back at Nightwing and eventually shifted his body to also face Drake in order to maintain eye-contact with this Nightwing. He really didn't like this, especially with what he thought was going on.

"What was the power surge we picked up?" Drake asked almost lightly as he began fiddling with his computer.

"Not a clue, nothing was out of the ordinary when I got to the location." Nightwing was leaning against the edge of the super computer with his arms folded in front of his chest. This was giving Terry a serious case of déjà vu.

… … No! No?! No. No… Slow-pulse it! "I'm _Nightwing_ in this world!" Terry exclaimed in disbelief. It was bad enough he didn't get back to _his_ Gotham, but he was in some weird Gotham where he was Nightwing… not even Batman.

"Excuse me?!" Nightwing was up and already taking offense. "Do you wanna say that again, dreg?"

"McGinnis," Drake warned in an exasperated tone, which made both Terry and his Nightwing-self look over at the old man.

Drake had turned the chair to face both of them. "Nightwing, that boy wearing a version of my suit is you from another dimension."

"The hell he is!" Nightwing exclaimed as he gestured to Terry. "He looks nothing like me!"

Well, that would explain why this him wasn't freaking out about there being two of him, though why would they look different.

"You," Drake turned his head to look at Terry who just raised an eyebrow in response, "What is your name and who were you named after?"

"Terrance, and I was named after my grandfather on my mom's side." Nightwing stared at Terry with his mouth open before he pulled off his mask slowly. The first thing to greet Terry was a shock of red hair. Red…

"How the hell do you have red hair?"

"I was going to ask how you had black hair with both our parents being red-heads," Nightwing snapped back with his arms folded over his chest. "Or is that different in your dimension too?"

Terry tilted his head back and shook his head. "This is so weird…" He didn't even want to _think_ about what the other him had said; after all, that would mean that…that… nope! He wasn't going there. There were already too many things to be thinking about tonight.

Terry turned to Drake, "So you're the Bat here? Where's Bruce? And why'd him go check out the pluse?" He pointed to his Nightwing-self as he asked the last question.

Drake shifted slightly. "I am on bedrest," he managed awkwardly, and Nightwing-Terry through the man a chastising look.

"What about Bruce?" Terry asked slowly, and Drake's expression became closed off as he looked to the side.

"He died a long time ago now…" Terry barely caught the words, but he hoped he had heard wrong.

"What?" Bruce was dead in this world… no… Terry stumbled back slightly and hit an exam table. He set his hands on it to steady himself. "No…" Terry shook his head. There was no grumpy Bruce to order him around and tell him how he should be doing his job…no Bruce at all…

Drake just nodded. "Nightwing took over the mantel and when I was old enough, I assumed the role of Nightwing." Drake walked toward the line of suits. Terry could see now there were two versions of the old Batman suit and two versions of the Nightwing suit.

Drake stopped walking at the second Batman suit and rested his hand there. "The Joker knew one of the 'bird-boys' had taken over…" Drake shook his head and Terry could hear Drake's pain in each word. Drake looked back over at Terry, "He riddled Dick with bullet-holes, but…" Drake frowned in disgust, "Dick finally rid the world of the Joker."

Nightwing-Terry was scowling too, "The crazy clown died saying how a side-kick got him in the end."

Terry gripped the metal table tightly behind him. He knew what it meant if he…if _any_ of them killed; it was the end. But it seemed the end had already come for the first Nightwing, this Dick-guy.

"I was barely into my twenties and all of a sudden," Drake was saying while shaking his head, "I had to be Batman."

"And you ran away," Nightwing-Terry shot back, which made Dick turn to glare at him.

"Only for ten years, and by then I had secured my place as Bruce Wayne's heir, and was running my own department at Wayne Industries," Terry could tell this was a long-standing argument between Nightwing-Terry and Drake. The biggest give away of this was Nightwing-Terry's eye roll.

"More importantly," Drake pressed on, while glaring at Nightwing-Terry, "I had made the suit you have a copy of."

Terry just nodded his head slowly. This was all so much to take in. "I don't know what happened to Nightwing in my world, but _you_ killed the Joker after…." Terry shook his head and closed his eyes. Bruce was _dead_ , and Drake of all people was Batman; it was unreal to him.

"What happened, why would I…" Drake crossed most of the room before his words faltered. He had a wide-eyed look that said he needed to know the truth.

Terry flinched and looked away. He shouldn't have said anything, but it was so good to finally speak to someone since he was _clearly_ not in the past.

"If I could kill him in one dimension, then I could be capable of doing the same to others," Drake reasoned softly. "If that is the case then I am unworthy of this—"

"NO!" Nightwing-Terry shouted and Terry felt his own stomach drop. "Just tell him," Nightwing-Terry urged Terry.

Closing his eyes, Terry took a deep breath, "Harley kidnapped you when you were still Robin, and the Joker…he tortured you for-for weeks." Terry's mouth was suddenly dry, "He exposed you to some toxin that made you look like him and he implanted this chip with his DNA so that some-day…in the future…" Terry peeked over at Drake and tried to gauge how the man was doing. He was pale but he could tell the man still wanted to know the truth. "So that there would be a Joker in the future."

"Me…" Drake whispered as he stumbled back to find something to lean against. "He succeeded," Drake deduced, "and you fought me." He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"This is so weird," Nightwing-Terry murmured.

"You're telling me," Terry agreed. "I can't imagine _him_ being in the Batcave without freaking out, _or_ me being down here without the old man barking orders." Drake sent Terry a fond, understanding smile at the last part, but Nightwing-Terry laughed.

"We got one of those, black-haired me," Nightwing-Terry stated dryly as he cast a look over at Drake. … Wait, what did just—

"Let's not get into it again," Drake intervened as he got up and moved toward the super computer. Terry imagined the man was still processing things, but he was quickly moving on. "We need to get a Batman home to his own Gotham."

"Yeah, that would be great," Terry laughed slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. Terry headed over to the super-computer with his redhead-self—still way too weird to be true.

They both stood behind Drake with their arms crossed over their chest, and while Drake began doing calculations, Terry turned to Nightwing-Terry.

"So how did you become Nightwing?" Terry asked casually.

"How did _you_ become Batman?" the redhead shot back. They glared at each other for a long moment. The redhead had brown eyes, but they had the same cheeks and eye shape, which Terry knew he got from his mother. There were other things that said they were the same person…somehow, but there were also a lot of differences.

Their staring match ended with huffs as they looked away; their eyes stinging too much to continue the glaring match without starting to cry. Only Bruce had ever out bat-glared Terry before, but he was evenly matched against his alternate dimension self.

Terry sighed though and caved. He was curious if the circumstances were the same or different. "My dad worked for Wayne-Powers when a coworker gave him a disc before disappearing." The redhead's eyes winded in recognition and Terry began to furrow his brow in alarm.

"I got in a fight with my dad that same night and when I came back…" he was eyeing the other him with the same wary look the redhead was giving him.

"He was dead," Nightwing-Terry finished.

"On the disc were plans for chemical warfare," Terry pressed on and the other him nodded his head.

"And you went to the only person you know might do something because you learned who was Batman the night your father died," redheaded Terry stated, and Terry nodded his head emphatically.

"Yeah, I pissed off an abnormally large gang of Jokers, and Bruce helped me take care of them before his heart problems began acting up."

Nightwing-Terry looked pointedly over at Drake who had stopped typing, likely in surprise, before hitting the keys with more force than necessary. Terry sent the other him a questioning look while tilting his head toward Drake, and the other him nodded.

Nightwing-Terry then mouthed "Years of crime-fighting" before gesturing to where his heart was. Terry just nodded his head before proceeding with the story.

"I stole this suit," and went to take care of business.

"I went and tried to take care of business myself after Powers tried to off me, and…" he looked over at Drake who just shook his head.

"He saved you from getting too in over your head?" Terry guessed, and the other him frowned before nodding his head.

"Anyways, I created my first super-villain that night," Terry stated with a shrug. The other Terry nodded his head.

"Powers was exposed to his own gas," Nightwing-Terry stated, "and became Noxious"

"Blight." Both of them paused and looked at each other in confusion. Terry tried to correct it, "He became radioactive from treatment for the nerve gas."

"No…" redheaded Terry began slowly, "He became poisonous to the touch from the treatment, like the gas he created."

Well, that was a difference in their story at least.

"Weird," they both muttered, which only made Drake groan in annoyance.

"Will you two shut up; we have work to do."

"Yes Mr. D!" they responded curtly before flashing each other a smile. Oh this was going to be fun! They were basically the same person, even if they looked almost nothing alike.

Drake just looked heavenward and shook his head.

* * *

 **TBC**

* * *

 **A/n:  
** I know it's a bit unrealistic that they would act exactly the same, but I'm going with nurture versus nature.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Batman Beyond it belongs to its writers, producers, and so forth. This is simply for fun and not for profit.

 _ **Summary:**_ _Terry just wanted to get home to **his** Gotham, not some past one, not some weird alternate dimension one, just home. Who knew time travel and the journey home could be so...troublesome. _

**A/N:** I think after this one I am going to just drop Terry in the middle of actual episodes and stuff like that because these little one-shots feel like I'm just giving exposition to the possible alternative Terry's that could have been written up. Though, if someone wants to take the character ideas and run with them, go ahead.

* * *

 **Chapter 3:** More in Common than Thought Possible

* * *

Terry rolled his head from side to side as he ducked into an alley and began to change into the clothes Nightwing-Terry gave him. It was a bit snug on him since the guy was a little smaller than him, but it worked well enough.

He could have jetted off to Wayne's, but he figured if he walked around in his civies, he might see if another Batman went flying around to investigate the power surge. Then that way he could gauge how he should proceed. He stuffed his suit in the backpack Nightwing-Terry gave him, which had the same hidden compartment his backpack had for hiding the suit. Once all set, Terry went out onto the street and began the long trek to the manor; surely he'd see another Bat flying overhead him if he walked toward it.

He was entering a busier sector of town and suddenly spotted Dana. Although he told himself this might not be _his_ world, he still found himself yelling her name and running toward her. The girl heard him and began to turn around. She looked exactly the same and wore her usual blue dress and combat boots.

Terry's bright smile and greeting feel when she raised an eyebrow at him. "Do I know you?" she asked a bit alarmed.

Terry backed off and held up his hands as he gave a sheepish laugh. "Sorry, you looked like someone I knew." He rubbed the back of his head, but damn it hurt that she didn't recognize him. So he was a redhead here too? Maybe he hadn't actually gone back, or maybe…maybe he didn't exist at all here?!

Dana looked at him incredulously, "How did you know my name?"

"Ah, what?" he looked over at her in surprise now, but he was glad she had pulled him out of his thoughts.

She looked less than pleased, "How did you know my name?"

"Lucky guess," Terry laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. Dana's eyes narrowed further, and she began to reach into her bag, which he knew held mace. Terry held his hands out in front of him, "My girlfriend's name is Dana and you looked like her," he told the truth as he backed away. "I'll leave you be now."

"She looks like me?" Dana asked almost incredulously, and Terry nodded his head again.

"Just thought you were her, sorry; I'll be going now," he laughed uneasily again before backing into someone.

Turning around, he saw a guy about his age and build with a shaved head. The guy had his hands shoved in dark jacket and he wore a grey shirt. However, Terry didn't recognize him from school, though that was presumptuous of him to think the guy went to Hamilton High.

"Dana, is he bothering you?" the guy asked.

Dana sighed, "He was just leaving, Terrance," her expression then hardened as she glared at the guy and began to march up to him, "and about time you showed up! I thought I was going to be stood up again!" she poked him in the chest and Terry flinched with the guy; he had been ther—wait, was that guy supposed to be him!?

"Whoa, Terrance? My name's Terrance!" Terry stepped back in surprise as he gestured to himself and looked the other guy up and down. He also couldn't stop himself from wondering: _Am I really black in this dimension_? Did that mean this Terrance was really this dimension's him? They couldn't have had the same parents.

Dana whirled on Terry with an incredulous look on her face, "Your name is seriously Terrance and you're dating a girl named Dana who looks like me." Dana held up her hands and shook her head. "This is getting a bit pathetic."

Terry laughed sheepishly, but kept looking over at Terrance who was shifting a bit uncomfortably. Was this him in this dimension, was he Batman too? Terry shook his head and offered out his hand, "Terry McGlennis," he barely managed to change his name by adding an "l," and Terrance's eyes widened I surprise.

"Whoa, my last names McGinnis." Terry widened his own eyes in surprise and they stared at each other before Terry snapped his fingers as if he remembered something.

"Warren McGinnis…?" he threw the name out and Terrance straightened up further a little alarmed.

"That's my _dad_ , you know him?" Terrance asked and Terry was taken aback by the fact his dad was still alive, so perhaps Terrance wasn't Batman—well, that or Terrance wasn't using past-tense yet because the death was still too fresh.

"Yeah…uh…he works at Wayne-Powers', right?" he asked cautiously and Terrance nodded slightly though his jaw clenched slightly in anger.

"Did until he pressed the issue of my mom and their friend's deaths because of some bullshit chemical exposure," Terrance's arms were shaking and Terry's eyes widened in horror. "Then some Jokerz," and Terry knew Terrance was barely keeping himself from shouting the true attackers, "wrecked the place and sent him into a coma."

Terry covered his mouth. The nerve gas…Terrance's mother in this dimension was one of the scientists in the lab when it was leaked. On top of that, his dad was alive but… Oh god, was Mattie there?! Was there even a Matt in this world! "Oh my god, that son of a…." _Tell me you got Powers_ , he tapped out against his cheek in the unique Bat Morse code Bruce taught him.

Terrance's eyes widened slightly and for a moment he was drawn out of his anger at the sight, which was a relief to Terry. Dana however had wrapped her arm around Terrance's middle and she shot a glare at Terry.

He had to get Terrance to believe he was a Bat too. "M-my father was killed by some Jokerz after he got a disc from a coworker who died in…" he looked away, "in a gas leak." He wrapped his arms around him and tapped out: _Batman from different dimension._

Terrance's eyes widened further before narrowing in suspicion. He wrapped one arm around Dana's side too, while his other tapped against his leg: _Need proof of claim._

Terry sighed as he shook his head, "Damn man, we have a scary lot in common." He shook his head again, "We should maybe meet up some time?"

Terrance nodded his head with a serious set to his face, "Yeah, definitely."

"Um…There's this park up near fifth, or I know this path but it leads to this cave full of bats." Terry shoved his hands into his pockets casually.

"A few bats never bothered me," Terrance replied with a smile that Terry mimicked because they both knew what was really being said here.

"Terrance…" Dana's tone was full of worry as she looked at Terry cautiously and with distrust.

Terrance flashed her a smile that said not to worry before he looked back at Terry. "You know, I think I know which one you're talking about." Dana huffed at being dismissed like that, but they had to get this sorted out.

"Cool, so…I'll leave you two to your date," Terry said a little awkwardly before backing away. Terrance had a lot to make up for with Dana, especially after brushing her worry to the side—Dana hated when he did that.

Terrance nodded his head while Dana mumbled something that Terry knew was not in either of their favors, so Terry mouthed, "Good luck," while Dana was looking away from them moodily.

Slag…poor Terrance. Nightwing-Terry and Terry had only lost their dads, but Terrance had lost both parents, granted their dad was only in a coma, but…still. Terry really could not stop thinking about whether or not there was a Matt in this world, and what must have happened to him during the "Jokerz attack."

So Terry walked toward the manor before he ducked into the forest around the base of the yard, and changed into his suit. He then sat up on a tree limb and waited while looking up at the stars.

…

Terry woke up at the sound of very familiar jets. He immediately took off and found the exact same bat suit flying close to the cave's hidden entrance. "Hello, Batman!" he greeted a bit cheekily, Terrance looked at him unimpressed.

Terry ignored the guy and cut the jets in his boots as he glided down to where the other Bat was. As he was descending, Terry grinned broader and pressed the middle button on his belt and the entrance opened. "After you," he gestured with his head.

They then flew into the run way and continued to jet along the way. It was well after midnight, probably two or so in the morning, but undoubtedly their appearance would wake up the old Bat. Terrance was still shaking his head in disbelief when they both cut their jets and glided until they touched the ground. Terry deduced Terrance was only Batman because Bruce was still alive in this dimension and Drake was…well… _not_ Batman or associated with Bats.

"I can't believe I'm white in another dimension," Terrance murmured, and Terry couldn't stop from laughing as they made their way into the main part of the cave.

"Hey, we were a redhead in the last one I was in, _and_ Nightwing." They both shuddered for a moment before Terrance furrowed his brow.

"Wait, how were we Nightwing? Wayne wasn't…" Terrance trailed off and Terry shook his head vehemently with wide eyes.

"No…No, he wasn't still Batman. It was one of the former Robins." They were now near the super computer and stopped walking.

"There was more than one?!" Terrance was genuinely surprised as he slipped off the cowl, and Terry did the same. It felt like he was talking to a mirror with the full suit on, but this felt better.

Terry was about to explain that there were three before he froze and furrowed his brow. Maybe they weren't on the same time-line? That had never really come up when he was with Drake and Nightwing-Terry, but that was probably because their lives were so different with there being an active Batman ten years earlier.

"What have you done as Batman?" Terry asked as he began to take off the gloves.

Terrance frowned slightly and looked at Terry for a brief moment unsure. "Most recently...?" he began and Terry nodded his head, "Well, Inque broke out because of some guy who was obsessed with her."

Terry winced, he remembered that one, so it was just before he'd learn about Bat history from Commissioner Gordon. "Yeah, our time-lines are off; you'll learn soon."

Terrance nodded his head in understanding and they continued to get out of their suits and into their civies. "Man, this is still too weird," he muttered.

"Trust me, I know," Terry agreed, and they both stowed their suits into their backpacks.

"So where were you waiting?" Terrance asked as he led the way toward the stairs.

"In the woods where Spellbinder nearly sent us over the edge of a cliff." Terrance nodded his head in understanding, but Terry added more, "I mean, it's not like I could just wait out in the open."

"So what got you dimension hopping," Terrance asked as they left the grandfather clock.

Terry groaned and tipped his head backwards as they walked through the dark to the kitchen—they both had the place memorized like the backs of their hands. Terrance laughed slightly, "Not listening to the old bat?" he guessed as they reached the kitchen and he flicked on the lights. They both winced slightly at the brightness, but they pushed past it.

Terry grabbed the kettle and began to fill it before he set it on the stove and turned the burner on, "Yep, and time-travel." He sighed as he turned around to see Terrance pulling out two mugs.

"Coffee or tea?" Terry asked as he moved toward the cupboard that undoubtedly held the necessary ingredients.

"He's really a creature of habit isn't he if it's the same set up in your dimension too," Terrance commented and Terry began to laugh as he nodded his head.

"For a paranoid old bat, yeah, he definitely is." They both continued laughing at that before Terrance murmured tea would be a better choice. With everything set and just waiting for the water to boil, the two teens sat down around the kitchen table.

"So your mom…" Terry murmured after a moment while shaking his head.

"Yeah, Powers…" Terrance shook his head and looked away.

"I have a little brother, but he was living with our mom…they got separated when I went to juvie," Terry whispered. He had only meant to ask a question, but his history came tumbling out with it.

Terrance, however, caught onto his implied question and nodded his head. "I was sent to juvie too," there was a touch of resentment in Terrance's voice and Terry briefly wondered why, but the teen hurried on, "but my parents were still together when…" he swallowed thickly and stared down at his hands resting on the table.

"So when Powers' men attacked, he was alone?"

Terrance winced and shook his head. "My little sister, Asiah, was in her room hiding, but she had the police on the line. She hadn't heard anything though and they hadn't gotten to her room in time."

"Did they have time to plant evidence?" It didn't need to be clarified who _they_ was.

"Enough while they were trashing the place," Terrance sighed before shaking his head. "Asiah could have…" he gritted his teeth together in anger.

Terry nodded his head and they sat there for a moment in silence before the kettle began to whistle. Terry got up with Terrance and they began to make the tea.

"You know," Terry began a little awkwardly, "I half expected your sister to be named Matt too," he joked.

Terrance laughed slightly and shook his head. "My mom was part of that wave of retro naming, but little sis was saved from that." They both chuckled at that as they moved back to the table. There were a few unfortunate classmates of theirs who had really archaic names because of that baby naming fad.

Once they were sitting down again, and staring at their steeping tea, Terry had another question nagging him, "Are you two in foster care then or…" He trailed when he realized what he had asked and how insensitive it was.

"Nah, we've been staying at our cousin's."

"Cousin?" Don't tell him it was Max, he thought. Because their dad's did not have any siblings.

"Jared," Terrance clarified. "My aunt had married Mr. Tate when Spellbinder attacked," he added as if to help Terry remember who that could be.

Oh. Terry nodded his head, "And Mr. Tate's cool with you two living with him?" Mr. Tate would become Armory when his company goes bankrupt, and Terry worried what economic strains the Tate family might already be going through.

"Yeah, I mean, things had been tight before he began to help, but we're saving all that we can and all pitching in. Wayne's been a big help too with the allowance." Terry nodded his head slowly as he looked down at his cup of tea. That really put things in perspective.

Terrance sighed and leaned back in his chair, "Besides, when I turn eighteen I'm going to see if I can take care of Asiah on my own, so we won't burden Mr. Tate and Aunt Loraine."

Terry grimaced, "Trust me, you are going to get a lot busier; you might not be home that much."

"That's what I keep trying to tell him," The two McGinnis boys turned to look at the old man in the doorway with an alarm.

"Wayne!" "Bruce!" Terry felt so relieved for some reason; even if this wasn't his old man, it was still almost good to see him.

Bruce was in his sleep clothes and a robe, with Ace growling at his side at Terry. He missed his mutt who liked him. The old man moved to stand next to the table and both of them got up to get him a mug too.

"So the power surge was you?" he questioned almost tiredly, and Terry sighed.

"Yeah, Terrance McGinnis from another dimension, but I go by Terry," He introduced himself. "I'm trying to get home to _my_ Gotham," Terry stated over his shoulder as he poured tea into the mug after Terrance had placed the leaves into. Terrance then brought the mug over to the old man while Terry sat down.

"And why are you trying to get home?" this Bruce asked as he let the tea steep.

Terry flinched and looked anywhere but at Bruce, this just made the old man make a noise that said he knew what happened too, but before he could begin lecturing, Terry spoke to Terrance. "So how's your dad? Do they think he'll recover?"

Terrance grimaced and looked to the side, which made Terry look down at his tea awkwardly. Bruce made a noise again but just shook his head and let the lecture drop. "He had been getting better and was going to come out of the coma but his liver started to fail suddenly. The nurses didn't know why, but when they did a blood scan there were signs of poison…"

"Powers," Terry practically growled out, and Terrance nodded his head.

"He needed a donor, but…but somehow I wasn't a match and neither was Asiah." What?!

"Fortunately for Warren McGinnis, I pulled what strings I could and a band of Jokerz killed a close enough match."

Terry was speechless. "Slag, that was close," he murmured, but he kept wondering _how_ Terrance couldn't be a match for his dad. At the back of his mind he thought back to what Nightwing-Terry had said but he shut the thought down before it could fully form. There were probably other reasons why Terrance wasn't a match, or maybe his liver wasn't healthy enough? But then what about Asiah…? Nope, that door was closing because he did _not_ what to think about it.

"Powers will get what's coming to him soon, Terrance," Terry promised in an attempt to focus on something else. The other him was thankful for the change in topic and nodded his head.

"Yeah; I hope he does."

Bruce coughed slightly and immediately got their attention. "As touching as this moment is, we have a lot to do if _Terry_ wishes to get home." He grabbed his mug and began to head down into the cave.

Terrance, who already looked bone tired began to grimace and Terry waved him off. "I'll help the old man tonight, you're the one who has to go to school tomorrow."

Terrance laughed slightly, and the old man made a noise at the back of his throat in annoyance. "I'm still lecturing you tomorrow Terrance, about trusting dimension hoppers so readily."

Terry and Terrance looked at each other with empathizing looks before looking back at the old man and sighing. "You're really going to need your rest," Terry told the other him. Terrance just nodded and sighed.

* * *

 **TBC**

* * *

 **A/N:** Let's really hope Terrance and Asiah get out of the Tate home before Hush, otherwise...poor Terrance. Next one is dark...pretty dark... yeah... though it was a story idea and pairing I've had floating around in my head for a while (I mean, Dana's brother makes such an awesome villain).


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Batman Beyond or JLU; they belong to their respective writers, producers, and so forth. This is simply for fun and not for profit.

 _ **Summary:**_ _Terry just wanted to get home to **his** Gotham, not some past one, not some weird alternate dimension one, just home. Who knew time travel and the journey home could be so...troublesome. _

**A/N:** This one may be a two-shot and it's a bit twisted. If anyone would like to take the idea and make a longer story out of it, feel free to. This also heavily implies some adult themes. With love, depressedchildren

* * *

 **Chapter 4:** A Twisted Turn of Events

* * *

Terry was reeling as he appeared in…this was Neo-Gotham but… He gulped as he stared around at the plethora of buildings marked up with construction scaffolds while others were just… There were literal holes blown into buildings. This was wrong… He had to hurry and check in with Bruce, what if he got sent back too late?!

He changed into his civies and began racing down the streets. If a Batamn showed up then he could feel the sweet relief of this not being _his_ Gotham—unless someone replaced him because he had been gone too long...

Though the debris from the destroyed buildings had long since been cleared up, Terry could imagine what a state Neo-Gotham had been in. Terry could feel his pulse rising with panic and fear. What had happened?! Had he been gone too long? There was no Bat flying toward where he was yet, did this mean this was his world?!

This thought kicked him into gear. Terry had never run so fast in his life, and he didn't even care about the looks he received as he sped down the streets. He jumped over the side of a road and caught a lamp pole which he slid down to the lower level. He slipped and did a recovery roll before hurrying along his way.

By the time he was half-way to the manor, he was panting and could barely breathe. F*** this, he'd put his suit back on and just fly ther—

"You bitch!" Terry whirled around at the yell and saw a girl not much older than him running down an alley toward him while four men chased after her. One of them was giant and had red hair with a matching beard. He also had these metal things at his temples and wore an unfortunate looking blue jumpsuit. What stuck out the most though was his bleeding right eye.

"F*** you Emmick!" the girl yelled back at him as she rushed past Terry.

"You're coming back to Waller!" The red head and apparent leader of the group yelled as he aimed a gun at her.

Terry's eyes widened. He quickly launched himself at the girl to push her out of the way. She scowled at him, and managed to slip out of his grip and do a flip to further distance herself from him and her attackers. Terry quickly went into a flip and then a summersault before ending up beside the girl.

"F*** off, idiot," she snarled. She was panting however and clutching at her stomach, which Terry realized belatedly was protruding.

"You're pregnant and going to take on the four of them?!" he exclaimed, and she just grinned almost maliciously at him.

She got into an alarmingly familiar ready stance, and Terry quickly did the same. This girl…she was crazy.

"Kid," Emmick-guy stated while looking at Terry, "You better run along, this is Cadmus business."

The girl reached into her coat pocket before throwing something at her assailants. Knives. They embedded into two of the men's legs after they missed Emmick. The girl tsked before racing toward he attackers. Oh shit!

Terry rushed them too, but didn't know who he should really be helping right now: the pregnant girl, or the Cadmus people.

"I'm not letting you abort this baby!" the girl raged as she delivered a round house kick at Emmick before ducking under his attack.

Well, that decided things. Terry held off one of the other Cadmus men while Emmick, the apparent leader, took on crazy-pregnant-girl. They were flipping, kicking, dodging, and punching around these Cadmus people in a frighteningly similar way. And then the girl reached into her pocket again, as another guy came at her from her side.

Terry watched in horror as the girl plunged the knife into the guy's side before yanking it out. The smile on her face was…was one of joy.

Terry swallowed and missed his chance to parry a punch. He spun with the movement behind it and ended in a crouch, ready to bull rush his attacker. Should he really be helping this girl? As Terry knocked his opponent to the ground, he quickly punched him in the temple, succinctly knocking him out.

Terry then turned around in time to see Emmick dodge a swipe of a knife from that girl. However, the last Cadmus guy was already calling for back up while he tried to staunch the blood flow from his comrade's wound.

Terry gritted his teeth and rushed Emmick. He knocked the guy's feet from under him with a move akin to a dive in soccer. Emmick hit the ground hard, while his head snapped back with a sickening crack. He was still and undoubtedly knocked out.

The girl was about to pounce him, but Terry caught her arm and began to run, "They're getting back-up!"

The girl literally snarled in anger but went with him. They ran in a random direction before they finally slowed down and hid in an alley. They were both panting as they leaned back against a dirty wall. The girl slid down it slightly while she clutched at her stomach. Her eyes closed as she breathed in and out.

"Why's Cadmus after you and your baby?" Terry asked after a moment, but he was still panting. The girl looked over at him with a glare, but Terry really couldn't think why a cloning facility would be interested in her.

"Because my fairy godmother's mad I'm having a clown baby," she shot back before laughing almost unhinged.

"What?" he asked, and she laughed a little more before she got up.

"Escort me to my current humble abode?" she asked with a suddenly sweet smile while she held out her hand for him. Terry stared at her with his mouth open. However he accepted the hand and got up while shaking his head slightly.

They began walking quickly down the allies, but Terry couldn't stop from looking over his shoulder every other second. The girl scoffed. He glared back at her, but didn't retort.

The girl was crazy, that was for sure, and what did she mean by clown baby? Was she a part of some Jokerz gang? No…she didn't really look the type even if she was crazy enough. The girl…she looked so familiar for some reason, and he just _knew_ she wasn't some clown.

She wore her hair in a messy bun, and little wisps of hair framed her face along with longer strands that had slipped free of the bun. She had black hair, but her eyes were a steely blue that seemed so familiar. Then there were her nose and cheekbones… Where had he seen her before? _Had_ he even seen her before?

"Do I have something on my face?" she asked blandly as she looked over at him unimpressed.

He coughed and looked away while shaking his head. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Got a name, boy-who-likes-trying-to-be-the-hero?" she asked dryly, and Terry glared back over at her.

"Terry," he gritted out. The only reason he was still walking with this girl was because those Cadmus people might show up, though he was growing increasingly unsure about not helping them.

The girl raised an eyebrow in surprise, "No way, I'm called Terri too."

Terry literally froze as he stared at crazy girl. The eyes, no wonder they were so familiar; those were _his_ eyes. "You're shitting me." He was some crazy, pregnant girl in this dimension?!

The girl tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips, "How am I shitting you?"

"Your last name wouldn't be McGinnis, would it?" at his question, the girl's eyes narrowed and she scowled at him.

"What's that to you?" she asked with her arms folded under her bust.

Terry sighed and wondered if this was one of the scenarios where he should be more cautious of the alternate dimension him? He looked the girl up and down before sighing again because of the facts staring at him. She could fight even if she was pregnant, and she fought like him, like a Bat. "I'm Terry McGinnis too, and let me guess," he paused minutely, "your parents were Warren and Mary, right?"

The girl stared at him for a long moment with a curious look on her face. He couldn't quite read it, but it felt like she was trying to figure out if he was the one lying to her now. He sighed again. "I'm from another dimension," he added, and the girl still looked at him like she was trying to figure him out.

Terry shifted slightly as he looked at the girl; perhaps he was wrong? He coughed slightly, "Warren McGinnis, in my dimension died when he uncovered a disc about a nerve gas—"

"Yeah, same happened to me, and then you met Bruce Wayne, right?" her eyes were narrowed still as she looked him up and down.

Terry nodded and looked away. "I did, and when I got home…dad was dead."

Something clicked for the girl and she began to laugh so hard her body shook. She threw her head back and just laughed like he had said the funniest thing in the world. What the hell was wrong with her?!

"Oh other me," she cooed, "you have so much to learn!" She practically cackled before continuing to move on.

"What the hell do you mean by that?!" he snapped as he grabbed her wrist to stop her from walking away. The girl just smiled at him without any real warmth.

"You didn't grow up like I did," she stated almost glibly. "Mother works for Cadmus, I bet yours doesn't." Terry stared at the girl with his mouth open and she laughed again. "You are so lucky," she flashed a toothy smile back over at him, and began to move on again despite his hold on her wrist pulling her back.

"What the hell are you going on about?!" he practically growled out the words.

The crazy girl dropped her smile and stared at him. He took an unconscious step back because…he wasn't sure why. Her look was intense and yet…almost haunted. "You may be me in another dimension, but you are nothing like me," she whispered before he features dipped down into another scowl. She scoffed and looked away from him before yanking her arm out of his hold.

Terry just stared after her as she walked away, but then she slowed her walk and stared back at him as if an idea had come to her. "You saw the old man's…lab, right?" He narrowed his gaze at her but nodded. She made an amused hum as she looked him up and down. "Grayson is going to have to whip you into shape, but you'll do as a replacement."

"Excuse me?" he stared at her and she laughed at him like he was an idiot.

"I can't keep on with the job while I'm carrying _this_ ," she rubbed her stomach, though as she looked down at it…well, Terry wouldn't say it was love on her face but rather some sick joy she got out of being pregnant. She flashed a toothy smile up at him and added, "Then fairy godmother will stop sending men out to try and abort it."

Oh…oh… "I don't want to mess up any events or-or learn too much about the future!" He looked around a bit uncertain, "I'm assuming this is the future?"

The girl scoffed and shook her head, though she was clearly amused by him. "You didn't know who Grayson was, so…" she scrunched up her face in mock thought, "I'd imagine you are," her sarcasm was not needed.

He glared at her more and was half tempted to tell her she was on her own. However, for whatever reason, this crazy girl wanted that baby and so would be out of commission, which would leave Gotham without a Batman.

"How far along are you?" he wasn't happy with this, but even this dimension did not deserve to go without a Batman—though perhaps it was best to not be in this crazy-him's hands.

"Eighteen weeks." Damn…how had she been able to fight like that and _not_ lose the baby? "I'd imagine it'd take until my due date to get you home anyways," she added offhandedly, and Terry sighed as he nodded his head in agreement.

He was worried how much time was slipping by as he waited to be sent back to his own dimension—at this rate he'd be into his twenties by the time he got back! The first time had been quick, but there had been so many scientists helping from the league. The second time there was Drake who was just amazing with technology and had a more open relationship with some of the old heroes. The last time…well, that had taken nearly three months. If some Grayson person was in charge here then it might even take him longer—pending this guy's ability with creating dimensional hopping things, and his connections to the League.

The crazy girl smiled at him like she had won, which she admittedly had. He sighed but agreed. She smiled more broadly and they continued walking, though she pulled out her ear-piece phone.

"Hey Grayson, I have a replacement for me until I get this little clown-bat out." She paused for a response and scowled before opening and closing her mouth inaudibly as she mocked the speaker. She rolled her eyes but jumped at what was likely her first opportunity to speak, "He's me from another dimension, but, like, stable; though he's shit at fighting and you'll have to work with him on that."

Terry stared at the girl affronted, but she ignored him while this Grayson guy talked to her. The girl rolled her eyes again and said loudly, "Yeah, yeah. I got it. Just go get laid with your cat lady already!" she hung up promptly after that.

"I don't want to know, I don't want to know," Terry murmured again and again as he just kept walking. The crazy girl laughed and quickly caught up to him while looping their arms together. He wanted to shudder slightly. She was so…unhinged, what made her that way?

Terry kept wondering, why? Why did this "fairy godmother," who likely ran Cadmus, want the girl to abort the baby? She even sent men after her, likely to force a miscarriage or stillbirth—he didn't know what it would be this far along in her pregnancy. Did Cadmus care about Batman's ability to fight crime? And why did their mother in this dimension work at Cadmus? What did this girl know that he didn't? _Who_ was she?

"Watch it, hero-boy," the girl drawled. "You might just have an aneurism thinking so hard," she flashed that damn smile at him and all he could think was, _that bitch!_

"I can't believe you're me," he gritted out as his hands clenched tightly into fists. This girl was just…just so—ugh!

"What?" a voice spoke up incredulously, and Terry froze when he realized he recognized the voice. "Did you ensnare someone else?" Dana…she was walking toward them with her arms folded under her bust. Terry also realized they were walking through her apartment complex.

"Oh, little Dana!" the crazy girl cooed.

All color blanched from Dana's face. "Don't you call me that," she stated in a tight, frightened whisper.

Terry watched in horror as psycho-him smiled slowly and cruelly. "Why? Make you think of your brother?"

Dana's teeth gritted together and she clenched her fists so hard her arms were shaking. "Shut up!"

Crazy girl tsked, "Is that the grief talking? Or the guilt?" she asked with another cruel smile. She pulled away from Terry to come closer to Dana in a taunting fashion.

Dana gasped and looked like she had been struck, and crazy girl was taking some kind of sick joy out of it. No, this was too wrong! "Stop it! You psycho!" he jerked away from this dimension's him and stepped protectively in front of Dana. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

She stared at him before laughing and shaking her head. "You wouldn't get it, hero-boy," she stated, and Terry just felt so much anger toward this girl. On top of that, he could practically _feel_ Dana's distress, which only made him angrier.

"L-look!" Dana spoke up as she moved beside him and set a hand on his arm. His knees nearly buckled under him at the familiar weight of her hand. Dana steadied herself as she took a deep breath, "This is just between us; don't get yourself any more involved than you are."

Crazy-him laughed derisively and shook her head. Dana shot a glare at her, "I can't believe I ever fell for any of it, and just so you know, my mother doesn't buy it anymore either."

The crazy girl laughed at Dana like she was an adorable child. "Oh Dana," she sighed and shook her head as if Dana was endearing. Terry moved back in front of Dana slightly and glared down at the other him.

Dana scowled at the other him too, "Well, _your_ mother's here to take you home and she's convinced _my_ mother it might be best you lost the baby."

The crazy girl raised an eyebrow in amusement before smiling, "Wonderful." She then walked toward them and grabbed Terry's arm. He tried to jerk away, but what the crazy-him said threw him so much he couldn't fully extract himself from her. Crazy girl smiled viciously at Dana, "Your place isn't the same if Doug isn't there to f***."

"Doug…" Wait…brother…crazy-him had said something about Dana having a brother, and Dana's dad was definitely not named Doug. "Oh my god!" he jerked away from this dimension's him in time to stare at her in disgust. What the f*** was wrong with this crazy girl?!

Dana was crying now, "Just go talk to your f***ing mother and leave me alone!" she screeched and Terry stepped closer to Dana as if to comfort her, yet he still did not reach out because she wasn't _his_ Dana. The crazy girl scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Hero-boy, just come with me. Mother needs to meet you; otherwise, consider yourself murdering my baby." He swallowed and stared at his other self. He shook his head slowly in disgust.

"What could have possibly made you this way?"

She laughed and shook her head, "You really want to know." Her gaze flickered over to Dana and she shrugged. "Cadmus made me this way, my mother," the crazy girl smiled slowly again, " _she_ made me just like fairy godmother wanted, but…" she laughed slightly and shook her head. She sighed and shrugged while keeping that demented smile on her face, "But I'm sick of being the good little girl, and just want to f*** them all over," her smile fell for the latter part of what she said. She then proceeded on toward Dana's apartment.

Terry stared after her with his mouth open, and Dana looked to the side. "I don't understand…"

Terry didn't either, so he just pulled Dana against his side. She tensed at first, which made him grimace, but then she relaxed into the embrace. "You should let it die," Dana whispered after a long moment.

Terry froze and looked down at Dana with his mouth open, "What?!"

Dana looked up and pulled away from him. She wiped at her tears and shook her head. "My brother was the Joker King," she said it like the title should hold significance. Joker King…her brother was a joker…had been a leader of them somehow? He swallowed and looked back over at where crazy him had gone.

"Doesn't mean the baby will become him," Terry began feebly, and Dana laughed without mirth.

"Both of them are—were" she amended with a flinch, "obsessed and psychotic." She shook her head and looked away from him as she moved toward the railing of the walking way. She looked out at the city and grimaced at the sight of all the destroyed buildings and construction work. Had her brother done all of that?

Terry swallowed thickly and moved toward the railing too. "What do you mean, exactly?" he asked in a low, almost wavering, voice. Did he want to know, was this pushing things too far?

Dana swallowed and held her hands tightly together. "Doug had always been obsessed with the Joker, and he was…was _sick_ ," she managed to get out. Terry frowned but let Dana take her time. The girl took a deep, shaking breath before continuing, "I thought Terri was my friend, and she was always so nice, but then…" Dana looked sick and she closed her eyes as she shuddered. "I saw them…going at it in an alley," the girl swallowed thickly, "and they kept talking about how much they wanted to kill each other."

Dana covered her face and shook her head violently, and Terry felt a bit green at what he could infer from that. That crazy girl, who was supposed to be him, got pleasure out of threatening and maybe even hurting Dana's brother, who got the same enjoyment out of doing the same to the crazy girl. Worse, it was all probably to piss people off for crazy-him—Batman and a Joker screwing around; it made _Terry_ sick.

Dana took in a shuddering breath. "She _knew_ he was behind all of the Jokerz coming here, but she didn't do anything about it; she-she _reveled_ in him being-being some monster!" Dana shook her head again, and Terry felt a bit faint.

"Worse of all," Dana whispered out as she tried to get control of her breathing, "They acted like some lovey-dovey couple around my mom, and she thought…" Dana trailed off and shook her head in disgust, "She thought Doug was getting better by having a _normal_ , _healthy_ relationship," she said the words mockingly.

"Slag…" Terry whispered as he stared out at the city. "This is so messed up…"

Dana's composure was back, but she was shut off now. "The baby's his and hers. It shouldn't live because if it became like either one of them…" Terry swallowed thickly at the implication.

"The baby should still have a chance," Terry murmured feebly, and Dana looked over at him while shaking her head.

"She'll twist the baby, and then it won't be a baby anymore; it'll be a monster like them." Terry swallowed thickly and shifted in unease at Dana's haunted stare. He felt so conflicted…

Dana then brushed past him, and he was reminded that he was a stranger to her…just some guy crazy girl had brought with her. He bowed his head but followed Dana to her apartment. Mrs. Tan was sitting on the sofa and she looked uneasy. Mr. Tan stood near a wet-bar and was nursing a glass of scotch, though Terry was alarmed to see part of his head had been shaved—as if for surgery. Both adults were looking at the guest bedroom's door, which Terry realized might have been Doug's room when he had been home—he understood completely that Doug was dead now, and he had a feeling Dana was partly responsible for it, though he imagined it was just an accident.

Dana moved to sit next to her mother, and the woman almost robotically held out her arm to encompass her daughter in a hug. Terry swallowed thickly again. The Tan family shouldn't look like this. He moved toward the guest bedroom and was prepared to knock, but then he heard his mother's voice rising in reprimand.

"This is not how you should be behaving Beyon—"

"Don't you call me that!" crazy girl hissed, "what if someone overhears?"

His mother scoffed and Terry felt like the world was tilting sharply off its axis. "We should just freeze you and leave Gotham to the Nightwing clones."

Crazy girl scoffed, "And that went so well when one escaped. Her voice then turned sharp. "It nearly blew up Gotham!"

"You nearly let the same happen. You knew that man was behind the Jokerz pilgrimage and was planning something—you should have killed him or taken care of him as Batman," Terry's mother reprimanded, and Terry felt like he was going to collapse. His mother _knew_ about Batman, worse yet, she-she had encouraged crazy-him to kill.

Crazy girl made an annoyed noise. "I tried but he had people waiting for him, and I wouldn't have an alibi."

"You could have made it look like a mugging," the cold way Mary McGinnis spoke made Terry actually stumble back against the wall. He blinked and realized the Tans had seen him eavesdropping, but they hadn't said anything, perhaps too stunned or troubled to comment.

The door immediately swung open to reveal what should have been his mother, but her face was pinched together in displeasure and there was this air about her that felt…off. She looked him up and down before huffing and motioning him to come in. He did so almost numbly while she continued to appraise him.

Once the door closed after him, she spoke. "You're Batman from another dimension?" She did not sound impressed. Crazy girl exhaled in derisive amusement.

"I know, hard to believe," she commented.

This dimension's Mary McGinnis shot a sharp look at the girl before looking back at Terry. "He doesn't have the edge of a killer, true, but perhaps that makes him more Batman material than you are," she murmured, and Terry stepped away from her.

"Of course I wouldn't kill anyone; we have no right to," he stated without thinking.

Crazy-him shrugged, "They're criminals, and they never reform in Gotham."

"Quiet," Mary snapped back before sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. Crazy girl rolled her eyes and leaned against a dresser in boredom. Her eyes roved the room with an almost fond look to them as she rubbed her stomach.

Terry shuddered slightly and felt like his whole world was turning upside down. This was just wrong. Why did Cadmus have a clone of Nightwing? Was…was crazy him somehow a clo—No! No! Because that would mean…that would mean he…

Terry could feel his heartrate picking up, and he wondered, _why_? The redhead him… of course he'd have red hair, why didn't Terry?! Unless…unless he was a clone…But…but no! What about Terrance and Asiah? They weren't clones were they? But then, they didn't match Warren McGinnis, so what did that make them? What was he? What were any of them?

Terry realized his breathing was coming in shorter more rapid bursts, and he felt like he could barely breathe. He jerked when this dimension's Mary started to rub his back and instruct him to breathe slowly, while crazy girl just stared at him with a cruel smile.

Terry somehow managed to calm his breathing after several minutes, but one thought kept going through his mind. _I'm a clone, I'm a clone, I'm a clone…_

Terry numbly realized he was being guided to a bed, and he sat down heavily. He was a clone… no… _She_ was a clone, yeah…somehow she was a clone, and he…he…what? Wasn't the evidence all in front of him? His hair, his eyes… He closed his eyes tightly. He didn't want to believe it; he couldn't because…well, what did that mean? He and this crazy girl, they were the clones, weren't they?

Crazy girl sighed and squatted in front of him. "Whatchaya thinking?"

Terry blinked a few times and looked away. The girl blew air up her face as if to get hair out of her eyes. "Look, you can sort out your revelation, or whatever," she waved her hand dismissively, "later, but right now I need an answer."

She made him look at her, and after blinking several times, he finally focused back on this psychopath him. If he hadn't been raised in a normal Mary and Warren McGinnis' home, could he have turned out like her? If he grew up in Cadmus, would he have learned to kill and enjoy it? Would he have wanted to rebel against his owners? No wonder she wanted that baby, no wonder she slept, repeatedly, with Dana's brother—a man who epitomized everything Batman was against.

"I'll cover for you," he whispered without really processing his own words.

The girl's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Really?" she whispered, clearly taken aback.

"What?" Mary asked loudly and a bit repulsed.

"I'll cover for you," he repeated as he nodded his head. The girl looked at him amazed and Terry wondered if this was such a rare thing for her? Someone willing to help her, to give her one small joy, and Terry saw hope for her in that moment. She quickly hugged him and hid her face, but Terry could feel her trembling slightly as she tried not to cry.

Mary scowled and looked away from them, but Terry tentatively wrapped his arms back around her. Maybe he could help this girl, help her become less damaged? She was like him after all; they were just clones meant to become Batman, weren't they?

"Thank you hero-boy," she whispered lowly. He just tightened his hold and glared defiantly up at this dimension's Mary McGinnis. The woman pursed her lips in displeasure, but said no more.

Yeah, he'd help this him. He'd help this damaged girl because well, maybe she was the sister he kind of always wanted (though obviously less unhinged) and she was having a baby. Maybe he could help her destroy all the expectations everyone seemed to place on her and the baby? Yeah, he'd do just that.

* * *

 **TBC?**

* * *

 **A/N:** I originally was not going to let it end on this hopeful sort of note for Cadmus-Terri, but it felt right as I was writing. This is also why it will be a two-shot. Again, anyone is welcome to write with this premise, frankly, I love the concept of a femTerry x Joker King (Doug Tan); I could even be cool with Terry x Doug or Doug x Terry, but in general the pairing is sooo messed up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Batman Beyond or JLU; they belong to their respective writers, producers, and so forth. This is simply for fun and not for profit.

 ** _Summary:_** _Terry just wanted to get home to_ ** _his_** _Gotham, not some past one, not some weird alternate dimension one, just home. Who knew time travel and the journey home could be so...troublesome._

 **A/N:** So this one is short and a little weird. Oh well.

* * *

 **Chapter 5:** A Twisted Turn of Events pt 2

* * *

Terry raised himself over the parallel bars with his legs out in a straddle. Slowly, he pressed his legs together as he raised himself into a handstand—the bars wobbled. He breathed in and out carefully as his muscles strained. His legs were pointed straight up and then he carefully shifted his weight over to his left hand. His right arm raised out and—whoa shit! Terry caught himself before his face met the ground.

There was a snort of laughter off to the side; he glared in the direction. Crazy Terri was laughing with her hand cover her mouth. Baby Matt was swaddled and held against her chest with her other arm. Terry convinced Terri to name the baby Matt after the brother she never got to have. He had originally suggested Warren, but she vetoed the option because to her he would never really be her father—he never stopped what her mother was doing to her so…

"You still suck hero-boy," she commented before holding out Matt. Terry took the infant as he rolled his eyes. Terri then proceeded to show off on the parallel bars.

"Yeah well, I'm not a girl," he justified himself.

"Meaning you're not aerodynamic?" she retorted as she contorted her body over the bars.

"Meaning I'm not as flexible," he defended.

"No, what it means is your core strength is still abysmal, kid." A new voice entered the conversation and Terry groaned while Terri cackled. The older man who spoke was the infamous Grayson. He had graying hair and missing eye he covered with an eye-patch. While Terri had made the man out to be worse than Bruce, he really wasn't. Bruce…Terry still felt conflicted.

"Did you get that hero-boy, you're weaker than a girl version of you," Terri teased before she hopped off the bars with a flourish. Mentally, Terry retorted that he hadn't been a trained killer, so that accounted for their differing abilities, but they all were trying to move past that. Bruce hadn't been able to.

It was amazing Grayson still accepted Terri even though he knew everything (Terry made her), but then, the man _did_ have hundreds of killer clones, so he had been more sympathetic than Bruce. Hell, thanks to Terri's inside knowledge, they had been able to dismantle the cloning facility and uh…well, the government was eager for the clones even if they were unstable. Apparently there was a whole contingent of Grayson clones doing suicidal rescue missions in the most war torn countries. The survival rate wasn't the best, but it had been a solution to multiple problems.

"Love you too, Crazy Bitch," Terry said with a sigh as he bounced baby Matt. The baby cooed a little. Terri snorted and moved over to take her son back.

Grayson rolled his eye. "If you two are done with your squabble, we have one last case before you go," he said to Terry.

"Mayor got electrocuted in Arkam Asylum," Terri stated in boredom as she bounced Matt. "I'm saying the son is at fault."

"Why?" Grayson asked while Terry pinched the bridge of his nose. She always accused the family.

"Did you see the kid at the press conference, he's totally like me and Doug," Terri stated as she poked Matt's nose. The baby tried to grab her finger and she pulled back again.

"Meaning a sociopath or a psychopath because you are one and Doug was the other," Terry drawled. She had an almost preternatural gift of telling when people were lying or hiding their ugly sides. He figured it was because she grew up with two-faced people her whole life and had to lie constantly just to survive.

Terri just gave that slow creepy smile she always gave him when they talked about her…quirks. "Maybe," she sing-sang, like one of those creepy kids in a horror movie.

Grayson made an annoyed noise at the back of his throat. "Any substantive proof?" he asked testily.

"I hacked his file at Arkam. Daddy's been sending him to counseling and made the whole new wing just for his baby boy," cooed while teasing Matt, who was giggling. The sad thing is she wasn't trying to baby talk to Matt, she was just doing that annoying voice because she knew it made Terry and Grayson uncomfortable.

"Can't you stay a little longer?" Grayson leaned over and asked Terry.

"I need to get back to my Gotham, plus she's been making progress, the next step is placing trust in her again," Terry replied, knowing full well Terri could hear them.

"Aren't I just the best patient," she chirped as she looked up at them with an innocent look.

"Yep Crazy, you are," Terri replied while giving her a one-armed hug and kissing her forehead. She was still bat-shit insane, but she was making strides—the baby actually helped. Terri ducked her head slightly and rested it against his shoulder in a rare moment of affection before she moved away from Terry.

"Of course hero-boy. So, do you want to follow through with my suspicions?" she asked in a saccharine tone.

"Yes ma'am," he replied with a mock salute, and she stuck her tongue out at him. He did the same in return before running off to get ready for what might be a long day.

Terry followed the Mayor's son while camouflaged for the remainder of the day. The more he saw the young man interact with his family and peers, the more Terry recognized something was off about the guy. Terri was right, as she always was. For the past year, every time he and Grayson were stumped on a case, she'd swoop in with some insane deduction that turned out to be right. In some ways, it was like working with Bruce…

Terry hadn't seen the man since taking down Cadmus, he _couldn't_ stand to see him. Even if this Bruce, wasn't _his_ Bruce, he was still…still…what? Terry still couldn't think of the right term. Father was wrong because Terry and Terri were just faulty clones. Terri was too insane, and Terry was not good enough. He would never be good enough. It was something Terry and Grayson had bonded over in the last year: not being able to fill the mantel like Bruce could.

Hell, Bruce had tried to take the suit away from them after Cadmus, but they had fought it. When he disabled the suit, Terri had pulled a mad-scientist move and somehow unlocked it—seriously she was terrifying. In the end, as long as no one died and Batman held up justice, Bruce would let them be and they would let him be. Part of Terry figured he was disgusted by them, ashamed by his own clones. So the two of them had Grayson. They lived in the man's loft, used his gym, and got missions from him.

The three of them had made a dysfunctional little family in this dimension, and now Terry needed to leave so Terri could take over again. The dimensional hopper had been ready for some time now, but Terry hadn't wanted to leave crazy-him yet. She really was like that annoying, sociopathic little sister he never had. Even if she mocked him constantly, he knew she felt the same—uh, that he was her big brother, that is.

Terry paused in his ruminations. What the hell was the Mayor's son doing? Oh slag no! Terry swooped down from his perch just as the young man slid a yellow helmet on his head. Terry quickly punched him in the head but then the guy sent a wave of electricity at him. Terry's body seized up within the suit. Then the suit was locking down was the guy kept wailing into him. His last mission and he already messed up the number one rule; he underestimated the suspect. Slag.

The mayor's son fled after that but not before letting loose Arkam's inmates. Terry quickly did his best minimize the collateral damage. Still, Spellbinder, Inque, and Ghoul made it out. Slow-pulse his life!

When Terry dropped down into Grayson's loft, Terri was looking at him while nursing Matt. She had that annoying smirk on her face that said she knew he messed up. "Don't say it," he growled as he moved over to Grayson's computer display. The man was already pulling up what they had on the escapees.

"Say what, hero-boy?" she asked as she moved to stand behind them while still nursing. "That you f***ed up?" Terry's eye twitched. "Is the boy a meta?"

"Yes," he mumbled. "But how? That wasn't in his reports!"

"Uh, it kinda was," she replied sarcastically.

Grayson now looked over at her with Terry skeptically; Terri shrugged. "Loony Bin doc was making a special cell for him," she explained. "Didn't you read that in the file?"

Terry groaned dropped his head forward. Grayson sighed, "So we talk to the doctor and see if we can get that cell up and running."

"So what kinda meta is he?" Terri asked as she flopped down on Grayson's couch. She was now burping Matt.

"Something with electricity, but I don't understand how…" Terry trailed off as it hit him. "F***ing Ghoul and the Joker's toxin. He had hit the mayor's son a while back with a modified formula, remember?" Terry was so exasperated. Could his last job have been an easy one?! Was that so hard to ask?

"Right, and it had awakened metagenes in half the people he had exposed to it, but the psychoses brought on by the toxin…" Grayson trailed off and rubbed his face. "Why didn't we think of it before? And Ghoul made it out, didn't he?"

Terry nodded slowly. This was going to suck.

Terri sighed and stood up while shaking her head. "You two can lament about being dumbasses later," she stated while bouncing Matt slightly and fixing her shirt. "Right now, mayor's little boy seems to what Batman bad. So does this bitch have to handle your mess, or are you gonna man up and take care of it, hero-boy?"

Terry glanced over at the news channel playing out "Rewire's" ultimatum. "What kind of example am I setting Mattie if I can't follow through on a job?" Terry replied with bravado just to annoy Terri. Then he leaned over Matt and coed, "Uncle T's gonna take care of it."

Terri rolled her eyes and called him a dork. He rolled his eyes back, but then pulled his cowl back on and left the loft. A few minutes later, over the coms, came Terri's voice. _"I'm having Grayson go on standby in case you get your ass handed to you,"_

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he replied sarcastically.

 _"Always hero-boy."_

Terry scoffed slightly but couldn't help but smile. His last mission in this dimension and part of him couldn't have asked for it to be any different: bat-shit insane Terri in one ear, and Grayson ready to help him in the field.

* * *

 **TBC**

* * *

 **A/N:** I like to think the only way someone can be as good of a detective as Bruce, is if they are insane. Why else haven't any of his protégés been good enough? Thus Crazy!Terri can deduce as well as Bruce, she just needs a handler to keep her from going off the rails.


End file.
